Teach responsibility; give kids choices

Although I am delighted to be a student in Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School, a charming place where integrity, individuality and creativity are encouraged, I desire more of a say in what we should be able to eat and drink.

I relish healthy eating and living, but too much control of food restrictions is unreasonable. One vending machine that students enjoyed purchasing from was completely restocked with water bottles, replacing all other drinks. Why should students pay for water when the school is filled with accessible water fountains? Students should have the ability to choose which drinks they want to consume, as it gives them freedom and responsibility to make the right choices for themselves.

Young adolescents need opportunities to prove themselves responsible as they slowly make the transition into becoming an adult.

In the outside world there aren't vending machines filled completely with healthy food. Compromising might allow both students and faculty to become more positive about the situation.

One solution I have is to fill half the vending machine with water, leaving the other filled with student-picked drinks. If students aren't given the responsibility to make healthy decisions in a cafeteria, how can they be expected to do so in the world?

Alexandra Barkan

Croton-on-Hudson

The writer is a seventh-grader at Van Cortlandt Middle School.

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Teach responsibility; give kids choices

Although I am delighted to be a student in Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School, a charming place where integrity, individuality and creativity are encouraged, I desire more of a say in what we should

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